Ricky Ponting retires

Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke

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Ricky Ponting has retired! From ODI's at least, though this move may of been seen as a move that the selectors may have seen to make, I fear that this has been a great mistake in forcing him out of the team, I will explain below in why I believe that this has been a poor desicion.

First of all Ricky Ponting is our greatest batsman since Bradman full stop. Ignore the fact for the moment that he has most likely been our most successful captain and one of the best fielders in Australian cricket of all time, he has been our best batsman for over 50 years period. When you count in the facts that I have just mentioned, you are losing a complete player. As Matthew Hayden mentioned in the Herald Sun a few days ago when he said "we should be celebrating that he is still playing, not pushing him out" why are we forcing out one of the greatest players we have ever had?

In addition to Ponting being one of the greatest players of all time, his guidence and leadership can never be replaced. Ponting is often mentioned by his peers as someone who is the first to arrive at training and the last to leave, after all these years he still works harder than anybody else. So what do they do? He gets a couple of low scores then they dump him even after he captained the Australian team to victory in the adsense of Michael Clarke.

Michael Clarke is going to miss Ricky Ponting dearly, not just for his guidence as past captain and team leader, but his wealth of experience that he brings to the table in all situations, as well as his mentoring of young players which has seen players such as James Pattinson rise rapidly. Clarke will not have Ponting to look to for advice when the going gets tough as he has done through the indian and NZ test series. True yes Ponting will continue to play test matches, but how long before they decide to take him out of that as well?

I feel that it is a disgrace on how they have treated Ricky Ponting, the Australian team will greatly miss his input and experience around the team. This being the best player since Bradman and they have treated him like this? The rising players at the moment in test cricket can only fear what will happen to them should they enter a certain rough patch in there careers.